{"ID":62240,"name":"Huddleston v. United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/cases\/1987\/87-6","view_count":0,"docket_number":"87-6","additional_docket_numbers":null,"manner_of_jurisdiction":"Writ of \u003Ci\u003Ecertiorari\u003C\/i\u003E","first_party":"Guy Rufus Huddleston","second_party":"United States","timeline":[{"event":"Argued","dates":[575100000],"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_timeline\/case_timeline\/52545"},{"event":"Decided","dates":[578552400],"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_timeline\/case_timeline\/52546"}],"lower_court":null,"facts_of_the_case":"\u003Cp\u003EBetween April 11 and April 15, 1985, a trailer containing 32,000 blank videocassette tapes was stolen from an Overnight Express yard in South Holland, Illinois. On April 17, 1985, Guy Rufus Huddleston contacted a business owner in Michigan and offered to sell her a large number of blank videocassette tapes for significantly under market value. Huddleston was later charged with possessing and selling stolen videocassette tapes across state lines. At trial, the government presented evidence that Huddleston had previously trafficked in stolen goods. In response, Huddleston argued that he had not known any of the goods were stolen. The district court then instructed the jury that the evidence of prior bad acts could only be used to establish Huddleston\u2019s knowledge, not to prove his character. The jury convicted Huddleston for possession of stolen goods.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit initially reversed the conviction and held that the government failed to prove by clear and convincing evidence that the goods in the prior instances were in fact stolen. The Court of Appeals granted a rehearing and subsequently affirmed the conviction, holding that the government only needs to meet a preponderance of the evidence standard.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u00a0\u003C\/p\u003E\n","question":"\u003Cp\u003EMust a court make a preliminary ruling on whether the prosecution has proven that the defendant is guilty of \u201csimilar acts\u201d by a preponderance of the evidence before submitting such character evidence to the jury?\u003C\/p\u003E\n","conclusion":"\u003Cp\u003ENo. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist delivered the opinion for the unanimous court. The Supreme Court held that requiring the trial court to make a preliminary ruling before admitting character evidence is contrary to Article IV of the Federal Rules of Evidence. Character evidence must meet the relevancy requirements of Rules 401-403. To add additional limitations would unnecessarily increase the burden on the prosecution and conflict with the legislative intent behind the rule.\u003C\/p\u003E\n","advocates":[{"advocate":{"ID":20829,"name":"Don Ferris","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/don_ferris","view_count":0,"last_name":"Ferris","roles":null,"thumbnail":null,"length_of_service":0,"identifier":"don_ferris"},"advocate_description":"For the Petitioner","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_advocate\/case_advocate\/21718"},{"advocate":{"ID":44079,"name":"William C. 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